According to Michelle Kaufman, who covers Inter Miami, Apple is banking on Messi to promote MLS, not the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

This was part of the agreement he made when signing with Inter Miami in the first place.

In this week’s edition of “Inside Inter Miami,” a podcast produced by Kaufman’s newspaper, The Miami Herald, she said:

“MLS is counting on Messi to promote their league, not to promote the [CONCACAF] Champions Cup. They’re expecting him to be on Apple TV when Inter Miami is playing New York, Colorado, Columbus and all those [other] teams. I mean that was the idea.

“I’m sure that the Apple executives, when they’re getting the non-Messi version of the team, that is not what they really want. They want Messi on the Apple [TV]. They want Messi on the iPhone, and they want Messi on the iPad. So, they want Messi everywhere on the i-products.

“If it’s the non-Messi version of the team, even though it has other good players, at some point I think the Apple executives will get a little frustrated if [Messi] is basically saying, ‘Hey, I’m just going to play everything else is my priority and the MLS is secondary to me.’ That’s not going to sit well after a certain number of games.”

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MLS not profiting from Miami’s run in Champions Cup

The Champions Cup and Major League Soccer may both benefit from Inter Miami’s success by increasing their global profile. No matter the tournament, Messi will always be the center of attention.

As an example, 1.75 million people saw his Leagues Cup debut with Inter Miami. In any case, that’s only for Spanish-speaking viewers; the first matchup with Cruz Azul was broadcast in English on MLS Season Pass.

Thus, it’s safe to say that people will watch the Argentine perform in more important games if trophies are at stake. But how exactly this will help Major League Soccer is still up for debate.

Inter Miami’s strong run in the CONCACAF Champions Cup isn’t pleasing everybody
Inter Miami’s strong run in the CONCACAF Champions Cup isn’t pleasing everybody

Inter Miami’s strong run in the CONCACAF Champions Cup isn’t pleasing everybody

The CONCACAF Champions Cup only provides MLS teams with an opportunity to play additional games. However, it does not directly benefit the league.

Unlike in the other cases, MLS isn’t trying to cash in on the Champions Cup’s massive audience. The Leagues Cup, on the other hand, was an MLS production that ran on MLS Season Pass, the same service that shows Major League Soccer games. The Champions Cup, however, has been unkind to Major League Soccer teams.

Messi absent from majority league games in 2024

Making a name for themselves there, Inter Miami might increase traffic to MLS Season Pass. But Messi and the team would be better off if they stayed focused on MLS, the league allegedly thinks.

The 36-year-old has been a no-show for four of the seven league matches so far. He has missed matches against DC United, Montreal, New York Red Bulls, and New York City FC so far this season.

In Saturday’s encounter between Inter Miami and the Colorado Rapids, Lionel Messi will return to play after a nearly month-long absence, according to The Athletic.

Playing in the 3-1 Champions Cup victory against Nashville, the club captain limped off with a hamstring injury. His performance was hindered after scoring only 50 minutes into the encounter.

Earlier this week, Messi was close to returning for the Champions Cup encounter against Monterrey, according to the source. Nevertheless, he remained on the sidelines.

Photo credits: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire : IMAGO / ZUMA Wire